“No one became enlightened by meditating:
they became enlightened by
dropping the meditation.”

Meditation is the method to come to stillness in the mind, to arrive at empty essence, to realise the non-duality that there is no ‘me’ and ‘meditation’; there is just clear seeing. Once we arrive at the emptiness of clear seeing, we drop the method. If, having arrived, we still apply the method, we are using effort and trying too hard; this is counter productive. We become too serious. To counter this, we need to be familiar with dropping, by “Short moments, many times,” as Tulku Urgyen advised.

Meditation is all about total relaxation, without going to sleep; it is being awake! Relaxing into stillness, we become the stillness, and realise pure, silent, clear awareness. Isn’t it wonderful when we stop doing anything?

Of course, effort is needed in the beginning to cut through the mental clutter and habitual mind games, but once awareness is recognised, awareness/consciousness becomes still, open, and receptive. First, we need boot camp; correctional taming for the adolescent mind by kind nourishment. Then, when we have learnt to be happy, we become the happiness itself.

The intelligent meditate.
The wise do not.

At a certain level of understanding, the world starts to look very crazy and challenging, but we have all ‘been and there, done that’. Empathy is the essence of compassion, and compassion is the realisation of the unity of emptiness and cognisance – the same nature as all sentient beings.

‘Softly softly catchee monkey’ is applying generosity, discipline, patience, perseverance, meditation and wisdom – the six perfections. In Dzogchen, we first realise wisdom, and then the rest follow naturally: other traditions start the other way round. Wisdom is knowing the true reality of all sentient beings, which is pure consciousness.

A word to the wise; start with wisdom, it’s quicker!

NB “A word to the wise” is a shortened version of the phrase, “aword to the wise is sufficient”which basically means that I’ll say one word and you will be wise enough to know exactly what I’m talking about. There is a connotation of the information being passed in a secret way.

Of course, this ‘passing on’ works both ways, as we are constantly being passed ‘wisdom’ that put us to sleep. 😀

5 Responses to NO ONE BECAME ENLIGHTENED BY MEDITATING

In 1985 I met my Process Art Teacher. Who was essentially my spiritual teacher. He said “Use the skills that feed the Process and the Process will take care of everything.” We were learning pottery. He said “Focus on the Process, not the product.”….and I Knew in that moment maybe 20 wise truths about learning and being I had no idea I Knew. I suppose his energy communicated and my body translated. He taught me so much that way. We tried more than once to discuss the depth of what he taught with the body and energy, in words but somehow we could not. Can not find this man now. But I am so grateful for all he showed me. His Process took me into the zone and beyond. Maybe I’m just wise. 🙂

In 1985 I met my Process Art teacher. He was my spiritual Teacher. He said “Use the skills that feed the Process and the Process will take care of everything”. And I Knew instantly 20 wise truths about learning and being I did not know I Knew. He said “Focus on the Process, not the product.” He taught me so much this way. We were learning pottery. We tried, more than once, to discuss in words what he taught and I learned but somehow we could not do it. I guess his energy communicated and my body translated. His Process took me to the zone and beyond. Perhaps I am just wise. 🙂